Why the film "Witch Doctor" was called the best in the XX century in Poland, and the Belarusians consider it important for themselves

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In Poland the movie "Witch Doctor" (1982)directed by Jerzy Hoffmann and to this day is considered one of the most successful domestic films of the twentieth century, which had incredible success around the world. The touching story of a famous professor of medicine, who lost his family and memory, became a village healer, who as a result saved his daughter and returned to her old life - became for the inhabitants of Poland during the reign of the military regime, the embodiment of the famous Latin proverb About these facts and many others associated with the creation film - further, in the review

The Witch Doctor turned out to be one of the most poignant films about faith and the possibility of changing lives. Almost four decades have passed since its premiere, but it has not lost its relevance. This film is still watched, reviewed and discussed. Thanks to him, the director of the film, Jerzy Hoffman, instantly gained worldwide fame, as did the performers of the main roles. Surely many of our readers will be interested to know how the fate of the actors of the cult film developed. You will learn about this a little later. But the story of the adaptation of this novel is no less interesting.

The first film adaptation of the "Witch Doctor" (1937)

Curiously, the first version of this film was filmed back in 1937 by director Mikhail Vasinski. However, originally written as a screenplay, The Witch Doctor was unexpectedly rejected by the film studio. Then Dolenga-Mostovich remade it into a full-fledged novel, which finally interested filmmakers. It was then that the first film adaptation of The Witch Doctor was made. On the wave of success in 1939, a sequel was filmed based on the new novel "Professor Vilchur". And literally right away, Dolenga-Mostovich wrote the script for the third film "The Testament of Professor Vilchur". But the work on the film was interrupted by the Second World War, and they still managed to finish it a few years later.

Background to the making of the film by Jerzy Hoffmann

When the Polish director Jerzy Hoffman, known to the viewer at that time for two battle performances from the historical trilogy of Henryk Sienkiewicz "The Flood" (1974) and "Pan Volodyevsky" (1969), conceived to film "The Witch Doctor", and colleagues, critics and the press are very were skeptical about the director's very idea. - hummed all around. It was 1980, the whole of Poland was literally seething with street protests, strikes and Solidarity. Cultural bohemia at the time when the country was going through hard times, was acutely concerned about what was happening, namely the conflicting relations between society and the authorities, and therefore considered a tearful melodrama with a rather banal plot to be completely inappropriate.

Some colleagues in the shop took Jerzy Hoffmann's idea almost as a creative betrayal. - Jerzy Hoffman recalled working on the film years later. However, in December 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski introduced martial law in the country, the "holiday of disobedience" in Poland ended, and the situation changed radically. And the director Hoffman started the filming process.

Film triumph

Jerzy Hoffmann's "witch doctor" hit the mark. The romantic story of a seemingly so distant, beautiful life of the 1930s literally brightened the drab everyday life for the audience. The "Witch Doctor", released on Polish screens in April 1982, albeit indirectly, carried hope and belief that, after going through difficult trials, everything would end well in the end. Spectators left the cinemas, moved to tears, and critics and ill-wishers could only gnash their teeth …

In the summer, the Polish film "The Witch Doctor" appeared on the wide screens of the immense Soviet Union. The touching story of the Warsaw professor of medicine Rafał Wilczur, who overnight lost his family and memory, moved to the depths of his soul and the Soviet multi-million audience of spectators.

Belarusian footprint in the film

However, this film turned out to be the most significant and close for the inhabitants of Belarus, and although the film did not directly talk about it, many guessed that the plot of the picture was developing on the territory of pre-war Western Belarus. And this is not at all surprising, because the author of the novel, Tadeusz Dolenga-Mostovich, based on which the film was shot, was a native of Vitebsk region. A well-known journalist and writer in his time often used a reference to Western Belarusian cities and towns for his works.

By the way, Jerzy Hoffmann filmed the Belarusian province in the city of Belsk-Podlaski (Belsk-Podlaski). Since the beginning of the 19th century, this city, being part of the Russian Empire, belonged to Western Belarus. Only after the Second World War this territory was ceded to Poland. The Belarusian flavor is still preserved here, and walking along the old streets, you can touch a history that is so distant in time and touchingly close. And today the landmark of the city is the very shop where Marysia worked. By the way, there is a Belarusian trace in the fate of the leading role, Anna Dymna, who played Marysya. But you will find out about this in our next review.

A few words about the plot of the film "Witch Doctor", which has become a cult

The orderly and well-oiled life of the talented surgeon Professor Rafal Vilchur instantly collapsed like a house of cards: his wife left him with her little daughter. On the same day, he was assassinated and found himself on the street without money and documents. But the worst thing is that from a blow to the head, he lost his memory. The chain of tragic events radically changed the whole future fate of Rafal, who now did not even remember his name.

The unfortunate man, by chance, managed to get documents in someone else's name … Begging and wandering, now under the name of Anthony Kosiba, the main character finds shelter in the family of a miller and rescues his bedridden son. Since then, the glory of a "medicine man" has been fixed for Anthony. The main character once in a local shop meets a charming girl Marysya, who with her appearance reminded Anthony of the image of a woman from a distant forgotten life. But no matter how hard he tried to remember something, nothing came of it.

In parallel, another storyline develops in the film - the love relationship of two young people. Namely, the poor orphan Marysia and the noble young count Leszek Chinsky, whose parents, according to the laws of the genre, were categorically against these relations. But the young count was in love with no memory, and no parental prohibitions could stop the young man.

However, the couple in love gets into an accident, as a result of which the young man escaped with minor injuries, but the unfortunate girl was on the verge of life and death. The doctor, who was invited to the dying woman, stated that the injuries received by Marysia were incompatible with life.

Anthony Kosiba witnessed a terrible "sentence", and wanting to help the unfortunate girl, he steals surgical instruments and, without realizing it, performs a highly qualified surgical operation. The girl survived, Kosiba was arrested for stealing medical instruments, and the count, who had grown stronger after an illness, thinking that his bride had died, decided to commit suicide. However, having learned from the servant that his parents deliberately misled him, he immediately goes to his beloved with a huge bouquet of roses.

The impressive ending of the film, of course, is more than optimistic: the innocence of the defendant was proved at the trial, as well as the fact that the Witch Doctor Anthony Kosiba is none other than the famous surgeon Professor Rafal Vilchur and the father of Marysia. Overnight, Professor Vilchur finds a daughter after losing his fortune, personality and memory, after being imprisoned and wandering for many years. In the final scene of the film, the viewer sees Rafal, Marysia and Leszek bring flowers to the grave of Beata Vilchur, who died of a cold several years ago.

Well, tell me, who could be left indifferent by such a sentimental story … The audience burst into tears, empathizing with the main characters. Even skeptics had no reason to backbite. Despite the banal plot, thanks to the tremendous skill of the director and actors, the film did not at all resemble a soap opera, it was full of sincerity and lively sentimental emotions.

What is left behind the scenes of the Polish film

One of the most striking episodes, undoubtedly, is the moment when the young count, having ordered to cut all the roses in the garden and having said goodbye to his parents in writing, was ready to say goodbye to life at the grave of his beloved. However, at the last moment, he learns of her happy recovery. With a bouquet of yellow roses, he rushes to scatter flowers at the feet of his girlfriend.

So, these charming roses turned out to be the most expensive in the entire history of Polish cinema. Before filming this episode, the decorator was instructed to find the most beautiful bouquet of roses in Belsk. Imagine the bewilderment of the film crew when he came with a modest bunch of roses that looked like tea rooms. What could be done - the country then lived in conditions of total deficit. But the director immediately put forward an ultimatum: there will be no roses - we will not shoot. And this meant the disruption of the filming process, for which no one would pat on the head. Therefore, an urgent decision was made to go to Warsaw for flowers by taxi two hundred kilometers away. Several dozen really beautiful yellow roses were bought in the capital market and delivered to the set.

As actor Tomasz Stockinger recalled:

How did the fate of the actors of the film after 38 years

Jerzy Bincicki - Rafal Wilczur

Was born in 1937. An actor who connected almost his entire life with the Old Theater in Krakow. In addition to "The Witch Doctor", our viewers could see him in the films "Shield and Sword" and "Pan Tadeusz" directed by Andrzej Wajda.

The leading actor in the film "The Witch Doctor" died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in 1998. As professionally as in "Witch Doctor", his acting talent, alas, was no longer destined to reveal itself. Few people know that Jerzy Bincicki was a member of the Democratic Party and even ran for the Senate, but could not get the required number of votes. It was back in 1991.

Anna Dymna - Marysia

She was born in 1951. The popular actress continues her active career in film and theater. She pays a lot of attention to social life and charity. In total, the Polish actress has more than 250 theatrical and film and television roles. In 1990, Anna was invited to play the role of Margarita in the Polish film version of Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita. This film received good reviews from both audiences and critics. Anna Dymna was married three times. According to the actress herself, her first husband, who died tragically even before her work on The Witch Doctor, had the greatest influence on her. It was Wieslaw Dymny, a Polish actor and screenwriter.

Now the actress is already 69 years old. In the short film of 2015 "Dzie babci" ("Grandmother's Day"), she is no longer recognizable as the beautiful Marysia. But, despite this, the actress speaks with optimism about her age and appearance:

Tomasz Stockinger - Leszek Czynski

Jerzy Hoffman saw Daniel Olbrychsky in the role of the young Count Leszek Czyński, who had already played iconic characters in his films Pan Wolodyevsky and The Flood. However, the actor refused, believing that at his age (the famous actor was already thirty-six) playing a young man somehow does not suit his face. Then the choice of the director fell on Tomasz Stockinger (born 1955), an unknown actor who still considers the filming of The Witch Doctor to be one of the best periods in his life.

Although then it seemed to many that the role of a rich aristocrat was not easy for the young actor. But, on the other hand, they kissed more than real with Anna (Marysya) on the set. As Tomas recalled years later:

Tomas tried to arrange his further acting career overseas, where he lived and worked for about 10 years. And when he returned to his homeland, he went to serve in the theater "Square", later in the "Siren".

Supporting actors

Bernard Ladysh - (miller Prokop) … Was born in 1922 in Vilna. He is known in Poland primarily as an opera singer. In 2016 he was presented with the Golden Frederick award for musical creativity.

Bozena Dykel (Sonya, Prokop's daughter-in-law) She was born in 1948 in Grabov. Until recently, the actress served in various theaters in Warsaw. And her filmography is replete with numerous and diverse roles. Among her best films is the film "Emergency Exit". Now the actress is 72 years old, and she looks amazing for her age.

Arthur Bartsis (Vasil, the miller's son) … Was born in 1956. Continues his acting career in cinema and Warsaw theater.

Igor Smyalovsky (Count Chinsky) … Was born in Moscow in 1917. He began his acting career in Vilno. He has published several books of memoirs and theatrical stories. He died in 2006.

Three generations of the "Witch Doctor"

In 2016, a group of enthusiasts filmed the sequel to The Witch Doctor. In the new film directed by Shimon Nowak, titled "Kapkan" ("Wnyki"), the stars of Polish cinema, who played in the 1982 film adaptation, played: Stanislava Celinskaya, Bozena Dykel, Tomasz Stockinger, as well as Artur Barcis. The film was also filmed in the city of Bielsk-Podlaski with funds from the local budget. This is a modern history of young people, which is intertwined with the fate of Professor Vilchur's granddaughter.

17 years after the film adaptation of The Witch Doctor, Jerzy Hoffman took up the novel With Fire and Sword from Henryk Sienkiewicz's trilogy, which was triumphantly shown on the world's big screens. What and why the director Hoffman changed in the popular novel by Sienkiewicz, filming the film we tell especially for our readers.